Brassiere having elastic shoulder straps and edging



Aprll 30, 1968 H. HOELSCHER 3,380,454

BRASSIERE HAVING ELASTIC SHOULDER STRAPS AND EDGING Filed July 23, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 AGT April 30, 1968 H. HOELSCHER BRASSIERE HAVING ELASTIC SHOULDER STRAPS AND EDGING Filed July 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 30, 1963 H. HOELSCHER 3,380,454

BRASSIERE HAVING ELASTIC SHOULDER STRAPS AND EDGING Filed July 25, 1965 Sheets-Sheet 5 wnwroe; Heinrich #oasmm United States Patent 4 ciaimsrci. 128-483) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A brassiere having shoulder straps which are split at least in the front of the garment or both in front and in the back and where the split portions of the straps support the upper front, side and rear edges of the corresponding parts of the garments.

The present invention relates to brassieres, and more in'particular to brassieres having elastic carrier or support straps including shoulder bands or straps.

Brassieres are already known where the shoulder bands or straps are elastic and which extend on both ends ap proximately to the center of the body. In that case both shoulder bands or straps terminate in front, touching centrally of the decollet beween the two breast cups, and in the back in the area of the back closure. Difliculties arise with brassieres of this type primarily at the point of connection of the straps above the bust pockets for the reason that the pulling force of the strap is introduced on one side only along the inner upper edge of the brassiere, although each breast requires support also in the direction of the side portions of the brassiere.

In this connection a brassiere is already known where a carrier or support band placed around the neck, which follows the upper edge of the brassiere from the connection at the upper border crosses with the band coming from the support point at the center front portion of the brassiere and where both bands or straps continue below the breast cups to the back. Bands which also come from the support point extend along the upper outer border of 'the breast cups which meet the bands that extend and run along below the breast cups. This brassiere which does not have actual breast cups, but only triangle shaped front pieces affords insufficient forming effect.

It is an object of the invention to provide a brassiere which is light-weight and which readily adapts itself to any form and to any movement.

In accordance with the invention the problem is solved in connection with a brassiere having elastic support bands in that the shoulder bands separate at the upper front border of the brassiere, with one part following the upper inner edge of the breast cups and the other part of the upper outer edges of the breast cups and the upper edge of the side portions. It is also possible, however, that the support straps split at their connecting locations in the back, where one part follows the upper edge of the back portion and one part the upper edge of the side portion. Furthermore both measures may be employed.

In this connection the arrangement may be such that the front inner part of the shoulder straps or carrier bands extends beyond the front center point of the brassiere to the lower edge thereof and the outer part onto the back, or the outer strap parts can meet at the upper edges of the side portions, while the front inner parts terminate at the front center point of the brassiere.

The splitting of the shoulder straps may in this connection be effected by splitting open a relatively wide shoulder strap or band lengthwise or in a manner that ice the relatively narrow bands extending along the upper edges join at the forward connection locations to form a shoulder strap which is effective as a unit.

For this purpose the narrow bands may be connected with one another by a seam in the shoulder region in a manner that each two strap portions are provided along their longitudinal edges with a zig-zag seam. However, the narrow straps may also extend across the shoulder region in the form of a double shoulder or carrier strap.

Suitably an elastic strap or band extending around the body may be arranged at the lower edge of the brassiere and be joined with the carried straps at the closure in the back.

The particular advantage of a brassiere in accordance with the invention resides in the use of elastic edges at the inner as well as the outer edges of the brassiere which together with the support or shoulder straps constitute an inseparable entity. The elastic closure edges can neither roll on nor cut or press into the body, so that the forming or shaping effect of the breast cups is not impeded by unyielding edges and the brassiere adapts itself to any form and any movement and provides a conventional figure coupled with greatest wearing comfort for the wearer.

Brief description of the drawings Further features and advantageous characteristics of the brassiere in accordance with the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the brassiere in closed condition;

FIG. 2 a front view thereof in open condition; and

FIG. 3 shows a different embodiment of the invention also in front view.

Description of the invention The brassiere in accordance with the invention comprises two front parts 1 which in the examples illustrated merge directly with the side portions 1a. The side port-ions 1a may, of course also be separate and made of different materials. The supporting straps 2 split at the upper support connection locations 3 into two parts 2a and 2b where one part 2a extends along the inner and part 2b along the outer upper edges of the front parts 1. The inner band portions 2a cross one another at the front center point 4 of the brassiere and the outer parts 2b terminate at 5 in the rearward areas of the joined support straps 2 which form the upper closing edges of the side parts between point 5 and the closure 6 in the back.

The area between the lower inner edges 7 of the breast cups is occupied in a known manner by a gusset 8 which may be of elastic or non-elastic material. The bottom edge of the brassiere is defined in the embodiment illustrated by an elastic band 9 which encompasses the body and which is joined in the back at the closure 6 by the ends of the shoulder straps 2.

The shoulder straps 2 may also be split at the junctures in the back. Such an embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3, where the shoulder straps 2 are separated in two parts 20 and 2d at the juncture or connecting areas 10. Here the ends of the front outer straps 2b and the rear outer straps 2d are sewn together in the region of the upper edges of the side portions 1a between the breast cup 1 and the back portion.

Configurations of this nature where the split legs of the shoulder straps are of equal length are especially important for manufacturing purposes because they involve a minimum of cutting waste and of extra operations. The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 are chosen from this point of view. It is this particular type of brassiere where the front inner legs terminate at the center of the front of the body, which is best adapted for the type of brassiere where an outer leg 2d is likewise branched off in the back (FIG. 3). On the other hand a brassiere where the front outer legs 2b are extended to the rear connection 5 of the strap 2 or even to the center of the back of the body is best adapted for that form of construction where the front inner legs 2a cross one another in the center point 4 of the front of the brassiere and continue on along the lower part of the chest, or terminate at the lower edge band 9 (FIG. 2).

The dividing of the shoulder straps at the tips of the supports 3 or 10 can be effected in that a relatively wide band 2 is slit there into parts 2a and 2b or 20 and 2d. A supporting strap having a width of about /2 to which is prepared in suitable fashion during the manufacture thereof is best suited for this purpose. The two halves then follow in split form the upper edges of the breast cups or of the back portions as elastic edge trimming.

It is, of course, also possible to use relatively narrow elastic strips .or bands for edging. This case is illustrated in the drawings. In this connection the strips which like wise follow the upper edges of the breast cups meet at the support edge 3 to form a single stra which continues onto the back part or to the closure at the back. These twin supports can be connected with one another by means of seams, or they can continue separately and independently .of one another in the form of a double support band. The production operation for this purpose can be chosen in a manner that the straps extend parallel to one another and are sewn together along their adjacent edges (FIGS. 1 to 3). A manner of production is also feasible, however, where the partial straps 2a and 2b or 2a and 2d run one on top of the other in the area of the meeting points 3 or 10 and are disposed in a double layer in the shoulder region. Such an embodiment is preferable especially when the partial straps are sufficiently wide to effectively prevent cutting on the shoulders.

The straps that are used may be woven, knitted or laced. Depending on the wear demands for the shoulder strap and the adaptation to the material used in the brassiere, the transverse stiffness may vary. To increase the transverse stiffness the closure and/ or the shoulder straps may be reinforced with polypropylene. In particular a. strap band may be used where the weft thread consists exclusively of a rnonofilic polyamide thread and wherein the warp in the ribbon length equally formed threads of polyamide are provided which stretch as pull is exerted on the strap.

Having now described my invention with reference to the illustrated embodiments, I do not wish to be limited thereto but what I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brassiere having elastic shoulder straps, front portions including breast cups, side portions and back portions, said front portions having each an inner and an outer upper front edge portion meeting at a front connecting portion with one said shoulder strap, each shoulder strap being divided in two front parts at said front connecting portion, one said front part defining the edging for one said inner upper edge portion and the other said front part defining the edging for one said outer upper edge portion and for the upper edge of one said side portion, said back portions and said side portions having each a rear upper edge portion meeting at a rear connecting portion with one said shoulder strap, each shoulder strap being divided in two rear parts at said rear connecting portion, one said rear part defining the edging for one said rear upper edge portion and the other said rear part defining the edging for the rear upper edge portion of one said side portion.

2. A brassiere having elastic shoulder straps, front portions including breast cups, side portions and back portions, said front portions having each an inner and an outer upper front edge portion meeting at a front connecting portion with one said shoulder strap, each shoulder strap being divided in two front parts at said front connecting portion, one said front part defining the edging for one said inner upper edge portion and the other said front part defining the edging for one said outer upper edge portion and for the upper edge of one said side portion, said brassiere having a circumferential lower edge portion and said front parts defining the edging for the inner upper edge portions extending beyond the front center point of the brassiere to said lower edge portion and said other front parts extending beyond the upper edges of said side portions to the back of the brassiere.

3. A brassiere in accordance with claim 2, where said divided parts forming the upper edgings are relatively narrow bands and are joined to form unitary shoulder straps.

4. A brassiere in accordance with claim 2, where said circumferential lower edge portion is an elastic band, a closure is provided at the back portion of the brassiere, and the ends of the circumferential band and of said upper outer edge portions terminating in said closure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,098,881 11/1937 Robbins 128-451 3,186,412 6/1965 Kurland 128-483 3,220,415 11/1965 Marino 128489 3,227,185 1/1966 Lo Cascio 128-510 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

